In Brief: Nov. 1, 1999

CHIP IN FOR BLUE CHIPS Can't afford $125 for a share of GE? Buy it on the installment plan. Starting in mid-November, even the smallest investors will be able to buy partial shares of some 300 heavily traded stocks on Sharebuilder.com With no minimum required to open an account or make a trade, this site is geared for beginners--i.e., mutual-fund investors curious about stock picking or kids just cracking open their piggy banks--and charges only $2 a purchase ($1 for kids) and $20 a sale.

XXX RATED The insurance industry has been crying wolf for years, claiming long-term life-insurance...